Means for handling life boats on board a vessel



`July 14, 1936. A P SCHAT 2,047,494

MEANS FOR HANDLING LIFEBOATS ON BOARD lA VESSEL Filed Oct. 17,. 1934Patented July 14, 1936 UNITED STATES MEANS FOR HANDLING LIFE BOATS ONBOARD Ane Pieter Schat,

A VE S SEL Utrecht, Netherlands Application October 17, 1934, Serial No.748,726

4 Claims.

In order that a plurality of life boats may be handled by means of onecommon deck winch or the like, it has been suggested to wind both fallsof a boat on individual drums or reels disposed side by side in a frame,each drum being provided with a gear rim meshing with a pinion on acentral shaft provided with a brake drum. Said pinion also meshes with agear wheel mounted on the shaft of an auxiliary drum mounted in saidframe, a clutch being pro-vided whereby the auxiliary drum may becoupled with or uncoupled from its gear wheel. An eXtra rope wound onthe auxiliary drum is adapted to be led to the warping end of a deckwinch so that the boat can be hoisted if the clutch is thrown in, andlowered when the clutch is released, the descending movement beingadapted to be controlled by means of the brake drum.

It has also been proposed to removably mount the said auxiliary drumwith the rope wound thereon, so that one and the same auxiliary drum andrope may be successively used for cooperating with the fall drums of aplurality of boats.

The primary object of this invention is to simplify such an arrangement.

With this object in view, I utilize that portion of one of the boatfalls which remains on its drum when the boat has been lowered to theWater level under normal conditions and which serves to allow the boatto be suitably launched from the high side'if the vessel has aconsiderable list. In accordance with my present invention, said lengthof fall is run out to the deck winch by means of which the boat is to.be hoisted, it being understood, of course, that the said fall shouldremain associated with its drum so as to rotate the same and therebyalso revolve the drum of the second fall. Stated` in other language, theextra rope required in known installations is substituted, in accordancewith my invention, by a part of one of the falls itself.

Since with this arrangement the first drum in fact acts as a warping endduring the hoisting operation, it is desirable for the same to have atleast a small portion thereof actually made in the shape of a warpingend, as otherwise difculties would arise, which it is not necessary tomention here as they are well known to anyone skilled in the art. Owing,however, to the fact that during hoisting the number of turns, which thefirst fall takes on its drum, remains stationary so that the hoistingspeed of said fall is invariable (assuming the deck winch to operate ata uniform speed), whereas the second fall is as a, rule wound in twolayers on its drum so as to hoist the boat with stepwise increasingspeed, it is advisable to so shape the warping end of the rst drum thatits diameter at the point Where it is engaged by the fall coming fromthe top block is equal to the average diameter of 5 the turns in thesuccessive layers of the second fall on its drum. Preferably, however, Iprovide for means whereby the operative engagement between the drums maybe released and the second drum may be locked against rotation under l0the influence of the pull of its fall.

My invention further relates to a special construction of centrifugalbrake which is particularly suitable for use in connection with hoistingdrums of the aforesaid type, but which may l5 also be applied to otherrotary parts for paying out or guiding boat falls.

In order that my invention may be better understood, I refer to. theannexed drawing, in which:

Fig. l diagrammatically shows my novel means for hoisting a boat bymeans of a deck Winch,

Fig. 2 is partly a plan view, partly a hori- Zontal section of a ropereel adapted to take up both falls of a life boat, and

Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly a vertical section of another rope reelfor the same purpose.

In Fig. 1, 4 is the rope reel comprising two drums 5 and B rigidlysecured to a common shaft, whereas 'l is a deck winch having the usualwarping end 8. As shown, a portion of drum 5 is also formed as a warpingend 5a.

The boat, not shown, is suspended from two falls 9 and I0, adapted to bewound on the drums 5' and 6, respectively.

In accordance with the present invention, the fall 9 has such a lengththat, when the boat has been lowered to the water level, its haulingpart, after taking a few turns about the warping end 5a, may be run tothe warping end 8 of winch l. Thus, rotation oi the warping end 8 willobviously result in rotation of both drums 5, 6, whereby the boat ishoisted, provided always that sufcient manual pull be exerted on thefree end of the fall.

For the reasons stated above, however, this arrangement does not allowboth falls tobe hauled in at accurately equal speeds during the wholehoisting operation. This drawback may be obviatedy by using a rope reelas shown in Fig. 2. In accordance with this figure,` drums 5 and 6 aremounted side byv sidev in a rigid frame 4. Said drums are provided withgear rims Il and I2, respectively, adapted to mesh with a central pinionI3., whichV is loosely slidable on a stationary intermediate shaft I4.Said pinion I3 has an extended hub portion I5 integral with acentrifugal brake element I6 adapted for rotation within an open endedbrake drum I1 secured to frame 4. Mounted in the centrifugal brakeelement I6 are the brake shoes 46 (only one shoe is shown in Fig. 2) toengage the inner peripheral wall of the brake drum I1 to retard rotationof the drum when the brake element is speedily rotated. The aggregatecomprising pinion I3, hub portion I5 and centrifugal brake element I6 islocked against outward sliding movement by a collar I8 on a bolt I9,screwed into an axial bore hole of shaft I4 and provided with a squareportion for receiving a hand wheel 20. A removable cover 2I, having ahole for the passage of bolt I9, serves for closing the brake drum I1.

The fiat inner wall of the brake drum I1 is provided with a lining 22with which the centrifugal brake element I6 is adapted to engage whenhand wheel 2G is turned in a direction as to cause the collar I8 toforce said element to the left. However, by rotation of hand wheel inthe opposite direction after cover 2| has been unlocked, bolt I9 withcollar I8 may be removed from shaft I4, and pinion I3 with associateparts slid to the right to disengage the pinion from the gear rims II,I2.

Pivoted to the frame 4 is a ratchet pawl 23 adapted to cooperate withratchet teeth on drum 6 in such a manner as to normally prevent saiddrum from rotating in a direction wherein its fall is paid out.

Provided that the falls of the life boat are Wound on drums 5, 6 and onthe warping end of a deck winch in the manner as diagrammatically shownin Fig. 1, and that pinion I3 meshes with both gear rims II, I2, it willbe apparent that the boat can be hoisted in the same manner as describedwith reference to Fig. 1.

If, with this arrangement, the end of the boat which is suspended fromfall 9 (on drum 5) should have been hoisted to the required height priorto the other end, all that is necessary is to slack away fall 9, wherebythe latter will slip a little over drum 5 under the gravity pull of theboat, it being understood that the ratchet pawl 23 prevents both drumsfrom rotation, so that fall I0 is not paid out. In the reverse case,that end of the boat which is suspended from fall I0 is secured to itsdavit head, for instance, by means of a chain as disclosed in mycopending patent application No. 695,191, whereupon pinion I3 is slidout of mesh with rims II, I2 and fall 9 is hauled in to the requiredextent.

When a boat is lowered by means of a device as shown in Fig. 2, theratchet pawl 23 should be held out of engagement with its ratchet teethand the lowering speed is adapted to be controlled by means of the handWheel 20, which, when turned in the required direction, forces thecentrifugal brake elements I6 axially against the lining 22, whereby therotation of said element and of the pinion I3 is retarded or reduced tozero. As long as this axial brake is not applied, the centrifugal brakeelement I6, through the frictional engagement of the shoes 46 with theperipheral wall of the drum I1, prevents the rotary speed of pinion I3from exceeding a predetermined maximum value.

While Fig. 2 shows a device wherein during the lowering of the boat theaxially slidable centrifugal brake element always partakes in therotation of the drum, Fig. 3 illustrates a device in which the saidelement is only caused to revolve if the axial brake is operated.

1n accordance with Fig. 3, the drum 24 is 'arranged for receiving bothfalls, the one on the left hand side portion and the other on the righthand side portion thereof. Said drum is rotatable about a stationaryshaft 25 supported in brackets 26, 21, and it has an internal gear rim28 in mesh with two diametrically opposed pinions 29, 30 mounted forrotation in a bracket 3l keyed to shaft 25 and prevented from axialmovement to the right by a collar 32 on said shaft. Pinions 29, 3U areintegral with gear wheels 33 and 34, respectivelyy which are in meshwith a gear rim on a sleeve 35, which is slidably and rotatably mountedon shaft 25. Rigidly secured to said sleeve are two suitably lined disks36, 31, and loosely mounted on the sleeve is a centrifugal brake element38 in which are mounted the brake shoes 38a. Said brake element islocated intermediate the lined disk 31 and a second lined disk 39, whichis slidably but non-rotatably mounted on sleeve and adapted, through athrust ball bearing 40 and a sleeve 4I,

to be forced to the right by the hub portion of a handle 42 bearingagainst bracket 26 and having a threaded engagement with the shaft 25.

The centrifugal brake element 38 cooperates with a brake drum 43 securedto the left hand side wall 44 of drum 24. The shoes 38a mounted n' inthe brake element 38 bear against the inner peripheral wall of the drum43 to retard the rotation of the drum when outward thrust is imparted tothe shoes.

If the boat suspended from the falls wound on drum 24 is to be lowered,lever 42 is moved in a direction for releasing the described brakingdevice, so that drum 24 is free to rotate and the boat is free todescend. The rotating drum 24 then causes, through the planet wheels 29,33 and 3U, 34, sleeve 35 to revolve at an increased speed, but since thebrake disks 36, 31 and 39 are released, the centrifugal brake 38 remainsidle. For controlling the lowering speed of the boat, lever 42 is movedin a direction for moving sleeve 4I to 4* the right, whereby brake disk36 is forced against bracket 3l and sleeve 35 is braked, thereby brakingdrum 24. Moreover, the centrifugal brake 38 is clamped in between brakedisks 31 and 39 so as to rotate at a gradually increasing speed and,through the engagement of the centrif ugally projected brake shoes 38awith drum 43, tends to still further reduce the rotary speed of drum 24.It is thus possible to reduce the speed of drum 24 to any desiredextent.

If the boat has reached the water level, the lever 42 is moved in adirection to entirely release the axial brake 36 and also thecentrifugal brake 38, so that the drum 24 is again entirely free torotate and thus allows the falls to be freely paid out. Consequently,the boat can be readily released from the lower blocks of the tackles.

During hoisting of the boat, the brakes are released, so that the boatmay be hoisted at any desired speed and the centrifugal brake remainsinoperative.

As a matter of course, the manner in which the centrifugal brake itdriven by the drum is immaterial as far as the present invention isconcerned.

What I claim isz- 1. In an apparatus for hoisting a boat provided withfalls at its opposite ends, the combination of the falls with drums towhich the falls respectively lead, said drums being independentlyrotatable to wind the respective falls, a winch operable to wind a fallleading from one of the drums so that the winding of said fall by thewinch imparts a winding to the drum from which said fall leads, andreleasable coupling means for coupling the drums so that the windingimparted by the winch and associated fall to one of the drums is alsoimparted to the other drum by the coupling means.

2. In an apparatus for hoisting a boat, provided with falls at itsopposite ends, the combination of a frame with drums for winding therespective falls mounted in the frame on parallel axes, a peripheralgear on each drum, a shaft mounted in the frame in parallel relation tothe axes of the drums, a pinion slidable on the shaft and meshing withthe peripheral gears, a brake mechanism including coacting frictionelements with one of said elements fixed on the frame and the other ofsaid elements extending from the slidable pinion, and means forregulating the mutual frictional contact of said coacting elements tocontrol the braking effect of the pinion meshing with the annular gearsof the drum.

3. In combination, a frame, an element for receiving a boat fall androtatably mounted in said frame, a centrifugal brake member adapted forrotation about an axis, and also adapted for sliding movement along saidaxis, means for transmitting rotary motion from said element to saidmember, a braking surface associated with said frame, a second brakingsurface associated with the said element and adapted to be forced intoengagement with the said first braking surface owing to sliding movementof said member, and manually operable means for imparting slidingmovement to said member.

4. In combination, a frame, an element for receiving a boat fall androtatably mounted in such frame, a shaft mounted in said frame, a partadapted for rotation about and for axial sliding movement along saidshaft, means for transmitting rotary motion from said element to saidpart, a friction element secured to said part, a second I frictionelement adapted for sliding movement along said part but locked againstrotation relative thereto, a centrifugal brake member mountedintermediate said friction elements and adapted for rotation about saidpart, a braking surface associated with said frame, a second brakingsurface associated with said part and adapted to be forced intoengagement with said first braking surface owing to sliding movement ofsaid part, and manually operable means for imparting sliding movement tosaid second friction element so as to force said member into engagementwith said first friction element and thereby force the said brakingsurfaces into engagement with one another.

ANE PIETER SCHAT.

